This invention relates to a disconnectable arrangement for what is commonly referred to as a split system central air conditioner, wherein the evaporator or indoor heat exchanger section is arranged in an air flow arrangement with the area to be conditioned or cooled, while the condenser or outdoor heat exchanger section including the compressor is arranged outside of the area to be air conditioned. The indoor and outdoor sections are connected by conduits to complete the hermetic refrigeration circuit. It is common practice to purge and pre-charge the indoor and outdoor sections with the proper amount of refrigerant and to seal the ends to maintain the charge at the time the sections are manufactured. The connecting tubing or conduits are generally fabricated in a variety of lengths and, like the indoor and outdoor sections, are pre-charged with refrigerant and the ends sealed.
The indoor and outdoor sections and connecting tubings are shipped in their charged and sealed condition. At the time the indoor and outdoor sections are installed, the refrigeration circuit is completed by connecting the conduits to the terminal ends of the units and, accordingly, the protective seals installed at the factory must be removed or punctured without excess loss of refrigerant.
Provision must be made to prevent the refrigerant charge from escaping from the sections and tubing when the connections are made to complete the refrigerant circuit. Some manufacturers provide cooperating portions on the terminal ends of the sections and tubing that break a seal during the connecting procedure to allow the connections to be made without the loss of refrigerant. In many instances, this arrangement consists of a diaphragm on one portion being penetrated by a sharp plunger or finger on the other portion as the connection is made. This approach has proven to be a convenient and successful way of preventing excessive loss of refrigerant during the time the sections are connected to complete the refrigeration circuit of the system.
When it is necessary to break the connections, refrigerant would be lost unless provisions are made independent of the means that prevented loss of refrigerant at the time the connections were made since those are generally what is commonly called one-shot devices in the field and, accordingly, leakage past the punctured diaphragm will cause refrigerant loss.
Some manufacturers provide a valve arrangement in the outdoor section. The arrangement consists of a valve in the discharge line, and one in the suction line of the compressor.
When the circuit is to be broken or the indoor section disconnected from the outdoor section, the valve in the discharge line of the outdoor section is closed. The compressor is turned on so that most of the refrigerant returns to the compressor. After the person disconnecting the line is satisfied by watching a gauge, if necessary, that the refrigerant charge is in the outdoor section, he closes the suction line valve and traps the refrigerant charge in the outdoor section including the outdoor heat exchanger and compressor. It should be noted that in this disconnecting procedure when the line is broken any refrigerant charge not in the outdoor section is lost.
This system works reasonably well; however, the valve required to carry out the storage of refrigerant is relatively expensive in that it generally is a machined component. As a result, some manufacturers do not install the valve in their units, while others may install it only in these more expensive units.
Isolating the refrigerant as required when the above described valve is employed presents another problem. For example, the section to be replaced or repaired because of compressor malfunction is generally the outdoor section and, accordingly, all of the refrigerant charge originally placed in both the indoor and outdoor circuit is lost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve arrangement whereby selective portions of the refrigerant circuit may be isolated, preventing the loss of refrigerant charge.
Another object of the invention is to provide a valve that can be economically applied in a plurality of selected portions of the refrigerant circuit.